MLB, union say players taken in draft can be traded earlier

FILE - In this is a 2015 photo, San Diego Padres' Trea Turner poses at spring training baseball in Peoria, Ariz. Major League Baseball and the players' association have agreed to change the rule that has kept the first-round pick from joining his new team

John Locher, File

May 04, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) Major League Baseball and the players' association have agreed to change the rule that has kept first-round pick Trea Turner from joining his new team after a trade, though it will affect only future drafts.

Selected by the Padres 13th overall last June, Turner was sent to Washington in a three-team, 11-player deal Dec. 19 that brought center fielder Wil Myers from Tampa Bay to San Diego. But Turner can't report to the Nationals until mid-June.

According to Major League Rule 3(b)(6), a draft pick cannot be traded until one year after he signs his initial contract. Rule 12(e)(2) says teams have six months from the time of a trade to finalize a player to be named.

So Turner remains with the Padres, who cannot trade him to Washington until June 13.

Under the new rule, players selected in this June's draft can be traded starting the day after the final game of the World Series.

Rule 12(e)(2) was also amended to says players taken in the most recent draft cannot be players to be named in trades unless they are eligible to be moved at the time of the deal.

The rules changes were first reported by Fangraphs.com.

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